Segment 1 covers the application of bellows cloth to the wooden bellow. Proper gluing and tacking techniques are demonstrated. Extensive dialog about the properties of hot animal hide glue are discussed.

Segment 2 addresses trimming the cloth, finding the holes in the wood (either before or after gluing), and ironing the cloth to the wood. Also presented is information about some of the properties of hot animal hide glue as compared to other types of adhesives.

Here's a very short video about burning off old bellows cloth. The first trick to this method is keeping the flame relatively small. In this video, I believe the flame is too large, which forces you to work too quickly. With a smaller flame, you can heat up the cloth, and the glue that's underneath, more evenly, and in a more controlled manner. The second trick, which Craig doesn't mention, is keeping a close eye on the cloth as it begins to burn. What you're looking for is a 'bubbling' of the cloth. As the glue under the cloth heats beyond the boiling point, it will cause the cloth to rise up. When this happens, you know that the glue has crystalized, and you should move on to another section. The third trick is pulling the old cloth off while it's still hot. I always wear mechanics gloves when doing this job. They can handle the heat and still give you plenty of flexibility. (In other words, they aren't bulky.) With a little practice, you can get the majority of the cloth off all at once. For those stubborn sections, apply more heat, but be careful not to burn the wood. Scorching it a little isn't a problem because it will get sanded before the new cloth is glued onto the wood.

This page was last revised
March 13, 2014 by John A. Tuttle, who Assumes No
LiabilityFor The Accuracy or Validity of the Statements and/or Opinions
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